Love stories can get quite cliched, but when you talk about new-age romance, the conversations can get pretty interesting. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (ELKDTAL) is an unconventional tale of finding love and acceptance. The film employs its fair share of stereotypes to tell a modern and relevant story. The fact that it brings, a still niche subject like homosexuality, to a mainstream movie is one of its strengths. Thankfully, the progressive themes and emotional intelligence of the movie, help it rise above the lackluster screenplay.

Saibal

3.99/5

NDTV

In the context of a filmmaking tradition that has usually been shockingly insensitive to LGBTQ rights, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha… is a whiff of fresh air, a huge leap forward from 2008’s Dostana. The story is simple enough and is told in a manner that could be faulted for being overly chaste but the film achieves something far bigger than a Bollywood crowd-pleaser can: it goads the audience to think differently without deviating from its primary purpose, which is to deliver entertainment. It does the latter without diluting its daring vision.

On the whole, EK LADKI KO DEKHA TOH AISA LAGA makes an important commentary on same-sex relationships in India and is embellished with some fine performances. But the narrative is very convenient to make any emotional impact. At the box office, its appeal will be restricted to niche urban multiplex audiences.

Ek Ladki Ko Dekhi Toh Aisa Laga concedes the unlikelihood of entertainment to change bigoted minds. When Sweety performs in Sahil’s play, we see disgusted and intolerant audiences get up and leave. Yet I was struck by the image of an old man, sobbing as he leans on the empty bench in front of him, reserved for VIPs who have left. There will be plenty who leave their seats unconvinced, but this film will make some wonder — many of whom may never have considered it.

More importantly, it can’t get more delightfully subversive, for a movie which promises to upend the ‘ladka-ladki’ binary that Bollywood has coasted on for decades. Here ‘ek ladki’s heart beats for another ‘ladki’. The problem is that there’s more subversion in the one-line title than in the entire film, because having stated its purpose, it doesn’t quite know just how to broach it and expand on it, and spends far too much stuttering time in getting to the point.

On the whole, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga is a flop fare because it absolutely lacks conviction that a bold subject like the one it tackles required. It will find favour with a tiny section of the gentry but the rest of the public will reject it.

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga is a respectable directing debut from Dhar, and a film with its heart in the right place. The writing ought to have been braver. That would’ve made this film something worth crowing about; a film as memorable as the one whose iconic romantic song inspired this title.
I’m going with two-and-a-half out of five.